Giving In
by Musicalnerdforlife1234
Summary: it has been close to a year since the great war against Kaguya, Kakashi has yet to take over the seat for Hokage. A mission that should have been routine takes a darker path and a new person enters the village causing change in every facet of his life.
1. Chapter 1

June 3rd, Monday

Blood ran rivers through the village that raised her, filling the air with the tang and scent of metal. Hakone was being massacred. The steam from its hot pools carried the scent of metal into the air and into Amaya's nose as she gasped for air. Stumbling, she ran through the town, past body after body their blood mixing with the dirt creating a macabre mud. Moving as fast as she could her feet felt like lead as her stomach seized and breathing heaved. The air was full of a bitter scent that caused her brain to feel woozy, combined with the adrenaline rushing through her veins Amaya was out of her mind. Sounds behind her sent panic racing, need to get away, let me get away.

She turned the corner that would take her into the forests before slipping to a stop. Four masked men in black stood before her with bodies strewn at the their feet. The tallest of the men in black held a man by the hair and Amaya watched as he slit his throat in frozen horror. This couldn't be real, none of this could be real. Chest seizing and unable to breath Amaya tried to turn to run in hopes that she might escape, might go get help. The reality is she wouldn't. Before she could turn around a hand snatched her by the neck and grabbed like a vice crushing her throat and dragging her upwards. Choked and gasping Amaya grabbed at the hand scrabbling for purchase before locating the index finger and pulling it back in an attempt to break the hold. The next instant Amaya felt a leg come in contact with her ribs in kick that launched her to the ground.

She skidded a few feet before coming to a stop with only a moment's pause. Gasping and staring at the ground she felt the hand reached down and grab her by the throat again while another threaded into her hair. As they lifted her into the air her hands clutched the wrists of the person before her in an attempt to lessen their grip. Pulled up to eye level Amaya looked into the eyes of her assailant. Violently black eyes stared at her above a mask covered face, filling her with a new surge of fear as they bore into her. She tried to free herself with a clumsy kick when he released her hair and began forming seals with one hand. Not an ounce of air passed through her lips his grip on her throat was so tight. Movements became frenzied as her struggle intensified. The face of the man before her began to dim when she saw him perform a final seal. Slamming that hand into her chest the brunt force combined with a shot of chakra that filled her chest burned left her writhing in agony. Burning concentrated in her chest before it worked its way up her throat. Feeling the ninjutsu settling around her neck, Amaya was certain she was on fire. With a flash of light the ninjutsu ended, and while the pain lessened it still felt like she was being scorched. He threw her to the ground where she landed on her back immobilised. As he turned to leave, Amaya convulsed trying to suck air into her lungs. Summoning the wherewithal she turned her head to see the back of the black eyed man. The men in black with swords and kunai in hand began to approach as the man called over his shoulder.

"I don't care what you do with her, just make sure you kill her after" The burning in her throat had not entirely subsided when she saw the men begin to circle. Amaya reached deep within herself, finding some form of will as she pushed to her feet, stumbling, clutching her throat trying not to be distracted by the pain. Looking into the eyes of the masked men Amaya found that all she could think was how did it come to this.

.

.

.

Kakashi had been a shinobi long enough to have been privy to wars and battles that made the bravest men tremble in fear. It wasn't often that he was rattled by the contents of a mission, but walking through the gates of Hakone was different. He had walked no more than a few feet before the carnage met him, the sight of two bodies on the ground saturating the earth with their blood. Taking in the corpses in front of him he noted two things: the fact that the bodies in front of him were children, and the fact that there wasn't one cry, one sound from structures within. His composure warred with a sick feeling in his gut after seeing their tiny bodies. One look at their pale bodies told him there was nothing he could do; despite himself he took a few steps forward and crouched beside the children. Placing hands by their sides and closing their eyes he paused and bowed his head in silence. The partly cloudy sky casting a shadow over them as clouds shifted in the wind. He stood and retreated a few steps out of the village gates. Biting his finger he pressed his palm to the ground and In a puff of smoke appeared three ninken, Pakkun, Bull, and Urushi.

"Bull, Urushi, i need you to go to Konoha and tell the Hokage to send a full team. The village of Hakone has been massacred." Kakashi directed. The two ninken nodded and disappeared in smoke while Pakkun walked up to Kakashi's feet.

"Boss, it smells like a blood bath here." his deep voice made the statement almost a growl while he sniffed the air. Kakashi turned his masked face back to the village, preparing himself for the task at hand.

"Pakkun, look for survivors. Observe and report." Kakashi said. Both took off to perform the grim task. Thirty minutes later Kakashi stood at the edge of the village closest to the forest where the buildings faded into nature. Pakkun stood beside him looking into the trees.

"I smell fresh blood in the trees," he said sitting down, "but everywhere else I found no survivors." Kakashi said nothing, letting his silence be his answer. He continued to look into the trees, noting the damage on the trunks.

"These trees are showing signs of a fight," he said walking up to a scar in maple tree in front him. Gloved finger trailed over it, sensing the leftover impression of chakra.

"Be on your guard." he said in Pakkun's direction as he made his way into the trees. The further in he walked the more furious the battle seemed to be. There were craters and large gouges out of tree and earth alike. Twenty feet in he encountered his first corpse. Unlike the bodies in the village This corpse was dressed differently. Hakone was known for its hot springs and textiles of thin soft fabrics in shades of rich earth tones. The corpse, that Kakashi determined was a man, was clad in thick black head to toe. The injuries looked as if he had been mangled by a violent force while the injuries in the village looked to be caused by a sword or kunai. This corpse looked like a force tore through his midsection. Kakashi knelt down and noticed a katana near the body. He picked it up and examined the insignia before stabbing it into the ground. Standing He continued following the destruction till he reached a clearing that backed up to a cliff. In the clearing lay two more bodies, three of which appeared to be dead. All of which were dressed in black, and now red, as they lay in various states of gore, one even missing a face. At the center of these body's lay what looked like a pile of rags.

"Pakkun" he inquired.

"That's the one" Pakkun grunted. "The others are dead, or at least seem to be." Suspicions confirmed Kakashi kept his movements swift, awareness open to a possible attack while he moved into the clearing. Reaching the pile of rags Kakashi determined it to be a person dressed in a filthy blue fabric. Kakashi bent on one knee and reached for the body. Turning them over he discovered it was a young woman. His quick assessment took in the many cuts and bruises on her face and arms. His eyes traveled down looking for more serious injuries to discover her clothes had been ripped and cut off exposing her very bruised ribs and torn underclothes. She was filthy, hair matted with mud and blood to an unrecognizable color.

"Pakkun, I need you to go back to Konoha and tell them to bring a medic that will meet us halfway. There is a live civilian in critical condition," he rattled off. Pakkun left in a puff of smoke without a second thought while Kakashi returned his full attention to the woman. Rolling her with care to her back he stretched her legs out, one of which had a full tattoo from her hip bone to her calf that he couldn't see completely through the mud. It was then he saw the full extent her injuries, the most disturbing of which were the bite marks that looked human. Looking at the torn clothes again it was becoming clear what he was looking at. His stomach twisted as saw a particular bite mark near her breast oozing blood. Reaching to his pouch he pulled out a small flask of water and poured it over the wound trying to flush some of the mud out. As the water trickled into the angry wound the young woman began to stir, groaning in pain. Kakashi set the flask down and moved back to her face and propped her up, wiping some of the mud from her eyes and face. The young woman's eyes cracked open, unfocused, and looked around to take in her surroundings. Bloodshot eyes locked on Kakashi's masked face and widened with what could only be described as absolute terror.

In an instant, the girl glowed with chakra and before Kakashi could move he found himself launched across the clearing. He did a flip landing on his feet twenty feet away in a crouch digging his feet in to hold his ground against the chakra blast. Looking back at the girl he saw her struggle to her feet, trying to steady herself looking as though she were inches from passing out. They made eye contact, his eyes widened in shock and surprise at the girl in front of him. Her body radiated chakra that seemed to swim around her in rivers, acting as a shield. The eyes he looked into showed an animal like fear as she stared back and made a hand sign that took him by surprise.

"_Go away! Leave!_"

The young woman signed and mouthed the words with her hands, frantic. Understanding that she was speaking in a sign language, one he learned back in his ANBU days, Kakashi stood, never taking his eyes off hers. He took a small step in her direction. Her chakra changed shape into what he would have described as fire and launched at him in reaction forcing him to leap to safety in the trees. His heart was racing for a moment, that one was new. Kakashi watched as the girl fell to her knees in exhaustion and waited for a few moments before dropping back down.

"I'm not here to hurt you. We received the call for help and came from Konoha," he called to her, signing as he spoke. Lifting her head to look at him he saw the desperate look. Panting she tried to stand again and failed. She signed again, more furiously.

"_Leave!_"

"I won't hurt you. I want to help," Kakashi continued to sign as he moved towards her, slowly. Chest heaving she started to scoot backward till she hit the cliff with a thump. Gasping she grabbed her black and blue sides, face grimaced and panting with pain. The glow of her chakra lessened to a faint outline as her strength failed. The steps taking him closer were soft, he held his hands up, cautious.

"I'm not with those men who came for your village. I see you are injured and I want to help you. All I want is to help." she shrank into the wall, her chakra glowed again in a feeble attempt before flickering out. He stopped walking as her face contorted in fear and she leaned forward signing again as she suddenly spoke aloud.

"LEAVE!" she screamed out loud. In an instant, a red ring of chakra glowed violently around her throat. Grasping at her throat choking cries tore from her as she fell forward, one hand pressed into the mud the other grasping at her throat. Kakashi appeared at her side in an instant as he reached an arm around her back and held her shoulders as she heaved and struggled to breathe as the ring glowed. The girl didn't fight him, a sign of how desperate she was, how badly she was struggling. The red ring finally began to fade allowing her a deep inhalation, her first true breath in a minute. After a few shaky, convulsing breaths, her body gave out and collapsed forward. Kakashi caught her before she face planted and pulled her to laying on her back so he could face her. Breathing seemed painful as tears leaked out of her eyes that were screwed tight. Kakashi reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes with soft ministrations. Shaky hands pushed at his, still trying to get away from him. Her eyes opened and looked into his, desperate and terrified of his face and in that moment he made the connection that it was his mask that was the problem. All of the bodies of the men he found all had their faces covered. He looked like them. Kakashi brought his gloved hand to his mask and pulled it down to his chin. Moving his hand to his chest he spoke.

"Kakashi. My name is Kakashi."

Amaya stopped pushing away at him as she took in the maskless face, calming at the sight. Eyes searched his face as her tense body began to relax, the fight leaving her, the exhaustion and injuries she acquired setting in.

A heartbeat passed before she signed the letters, Amaya, staring into his eyes with trepidation. Giving her a small smile he went to lay her down when she seized his wrist. His eyes looked to hers as she made one last sign. Scared. Eyes peeking from the mud and blood crust face flickered over his as she trembled with stress. He moved his hand to hers and squeezed.

"I know, it's okay," He noticed her fighting the dark sleep of exhaustion, "I'll take care of you, I will be here when you wake up". She squeezed his hand before her eyes slid closed and her body went limp. Kakashi laid her down to return to cleaning and binding her wounds and found himself pausing, Taking one last look at the girl. Kakashi felt a heaviness in his chest and wondered how the world had ever come to this.


	2. Chapter 2

**June 7th, Friday **

Amaya felt like her head was five times its normal size. As The dregs sleep slipped away she found herself working back to consciousness. The first thing she noted was the pain in her head, the next was the dryness of her throat. Working her mouth she attempted to swallow, feeling as though her esophagus was made of sandpaper. Slitting open her eyes the first thing she saw was white. The tang of antiseptic invaded her nose as her senses became more aware of her situation. Opening her eyes further she focused and saw she was in an all-white room with white curtains. Glancing around she saw machines to her left connecting to an IV drip in her left arm. Turning her head to the right she looked to see a window that had white curtains open to a rainy day. In a daze, the first thing Amaya thought was how nice it looked and how she wanted to be outside in it.

The door creaked startling Amaya into a semi-upright position which sent a throb of pain through her sides and head. Clutching her side, confusion rippled through her as she saw a woman with pink hair dressed in hospital garb walking towards her. Panic began to rise in her dry throat and she worked to get herself out of the bed. Engrossed in a clipboard the young woman didn't notice Amaya struggling. Finally getting her legs over the side of the bed Amaya's shifted her weight to her feet and promptly collapsed to her knees as her legs gave out, jarring her ribs. Hissing at the sharp pain lancing through her side Amaya saw the pink haired girl startle out of her clipboard.

"Whoa there," she said, setting down the clipboard on a table next to the machines, reaching out to Amaya. Seeing the hand coming towards her caused Amaya's panic to increase in her chest and she flung herself out of the nurses reach. Feeling the IV pull at the skin Amaya reached down unthinking and tore it out. A spurt of warm liquid ran down her arm and sharp pain riddled Amaya's arm at the sudden violence. She doubled over and grabbed her inner elbow as the nurse cried out in alarm. The close proximity terrified Amaya more. Amaya tried to speak, tried to tell her to stay away before a burning sensation gathered in her throat choking her. She put a hand to her throat her as the panic began to blind her. The combination of confusion and fear while being choked was too much and Amaya began to feel the familiar flow of Chakra filling the air around her. The nurse stopped in her tracks.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she soothed. Sharp pieces of memory began to flood her mind, painful and sudden. Amaya clutched her head as images of bodies and the memory of metallic steam forced their way to the forefront of her brain. The nurse moved forward and without a second thought Amaya reacted making the seal for the snake and With a swipe of her arm, a wave of water-like chakra hurtled toward the nurse who covered her head in an X and braced herself. The wave threw her into a wall while knocking over chairs and hitting the walls with a resounding boom. Hitting the wall with a grunt the nurse slid to a sitting position. More images and faces rushed into her mind too fast to process when she saw molten black eyes staring back at her. Clutching her head she hunkered down trying to will the black eyed man away. In the distance she heard feet running. she needed to get away but she couldn't bring herself to move.

"Amaya," a voice called, quiet, familiar. Amaya curled further into herself trying to disappear. steps came closer Before coming to a stop; A rustle of clothes, then a moment later a hand touched her shoulder. Amaya flinched. A familiar presence issued from the hand, but Amaya couldn't bring herself to look. More memories of pain and fear and the violent black eyes burned in her brain. The chakra that had enveloped her pulsed as she fought the memories burning in her mind.

The hand on her shoulder squeezed slightly "Amaya, look at me."

Terrified that if she did she would find the black eyed man staring back at her Amaya shook her head. "Amaya you're safe here, nothing will hurt you. I won't allow that, remember?" his voice touched a place in Amaya and she felt her panic subside just enough. She opened her eyes, staring at her thighs exposed from the hospital gown that and ridden up during her movements. Her tattoos on her left leg stood out against pale skin as she gathered her wits. Amaya willed herself to look, unclenching her body and craning her head. Dark grey eyes above a navy mask watched her with warm concern. The familiarity of the man brought a sense of calm that washed over her, breaking through her anxiety. The chakra that surrounded her faded back to nothingness.

"_Kakashi" _she signed. He nodded.

"Right," he said. Amaya uncurled herself, sitting up, taking shaky breaths as the room came back into focus, bringing with it the pain in her elbow. Wincing she looked down to see her forearm covered in red when a hand came into her view. Looking up she saw Kakashi reaching out offering his hand. Amaya hesitated and looked up into his eyes searching for a reason. Seeing no malice she grasped the gloved palm and tried to stand before her legs gave out halfway. Amaya, surprised, reached out grabbing his upper arms as Kakashi caught her under her arms before she hit the ground. Warm strong hands braced against her back as he bore her weight on his wrists under her armpits as Amaya found herself eye level with his chest as he eased her up and back onto the bed. Sitting on the edge Amaya let go as he pulled back and was surprised when he caught her hands in his before crouching down in front of her.

"Sorry I wasn't here when you woke up, we didn't think that would happen till tomorrow." His words reminded her of a promise in a bloody forest. "you're bleeding, Would you be okay if my friend Sakura over here patches you up." Amaya glanced over at the pink haired girl who looked up at the sound of her name from where was standing back against the wall next to a blonde woman. Looking back to Kakashi she nodded. He released her hands and she felt the calloused fingers brush her palms as he stood, stepping back to allow Sakura to step forward. The girl smiled as she reached for Amaya's left arm which had a trail of blood that had dripped onto the bed. Amaya watched her as she wiped the blood from her arm before taping a piece of gauze over her inner elbow.

"I'm going to check your vitals, if that's okay. if all is good then we won't need to reattach the IV," she said giving her a kind smile. amaya responded with a small smile of her own. Sakura turned to the machines when Amaya was struck with the need to say something. grabbing her arm Amaya made a circle on her chest with a fisted hand.

"_Sorry," _Sakura looked to Kakashi who had taken up residence on the wall, hands in his pockets.

"That means sorry," Sakura shook her head .

"Don't worry about it," she said with a warm smile.

"_Where am I?" _she signed to him as Sakura busied herself straightening the monitors that were askew from Amaya's earlier outburst.

"Konoha hospital, you've been asleep for four days." he spoke. Amaya focused on the wall beyond Kakashi as she absorbed this new piece of information. Konoha, she was in Konoha. Amaya had traveled to the Land of fire but never had the chance to visit Konoha specifically and being here meant she was a long way from home. Amaya swallowed feeling her incredibly dry throat. She looked back to Kakashi who had been watching her and motioned with a W at her chin with raised eyebrows.

"_Water?" _Kakashi walked over to the jug that was on the right side of the bed and filled a glass for her.

"Water," he said with crinkled eyes and handed it Amaya who drank in cautious, painful sips as it soothed the desert in her throat. While she drank he began to speak again. "You were a bit of a mess when we brought you in, but if am not mistaken you are looking much better." Sakura who had been assessing Amaya's condition, blood pressure and reading stats on her clipboard flipped back the page and turned to look at her.

"Amaya, if you are feeling up to it we have a few questions about the condition you were in. Along with superficial scratches on your limbs and face you have severely bruised and cracked ribs." Sakura skimmed the page before clearing her throat and looked up at Amaya. "There was a note of bite marks along your shoulders, breast, and thighs; three in total. Due to the nature and location of the bite marks and the fact that your clothes had been torn off we felt it necessary to give you a post-sexual assault exam. What we found was mostly negative to sexual assault, so if you have reason to disagree or if you remember anything specific please tell us so we can provide proper treatment." Finishing her statement she glanced back down at the clipboard, "and according to the vitals I've recorded as long as your drink lots of water there is no need to reattach the IV." The description of her injuries made Amaya feel numb, and slightly uncomfortable, as if they were describing a different person. Unfortunately, the pain said otherwise. She wished had no memory of what happened. As that thought passed in her mind movement caught her eye and amaya looked as the blonde woman moved into the room.

"I know this is a difficult time, but if you are able, we need you to tell us what happened in Hakone." Tsunade uncrossed her arms. "We have what the investigative team has gathered, but as of right now you are the only eye witness we have."

Amaya stared at her, not sure if she liked this woman, her energy and chakra was so loud and in your face. Amaya thought for a moment when something Tsunade had said hit her creating a pit in her stomach.

"_Only eye witness?"_ Kakashi who had been standing at the foot of the bed moved to sit down in the chair next to him. Sitting heavily, elbows on the armrest and hands hanging towards his lap he looked her in the eye.

"As of right now, you are the only survivor of what is being referred to as the Hakone massacre." Everything thus far felt unreal, but it wasn't till Kakashi confirmed the fact that everyone she knew and loved was dead she had been numb. A weight began to settle on her shoulders and in her chest pain grew with every passing moment. Amaya looked down at the gray nightgown and saw the cheap fabric, so unlike the soft bamboo clothes from her old life. The alien feel of everything made her want to hide, the smell, the clothes, the people…Amaya squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe if she closed her eyes everything would just go away.

"I know this is all a lot to take in, and we will hold off on questions of your experience for now, but I need to ask a question about the ninjutsu on your throat." Tsunade walked over to Sakura and held out her hand for the clipboard. Sakura handed it over without question and busied herself by cleaning up blood that had made its way to the ground. "you aren't deaf correct? You can hear spoken words, and make sounds. According to Kakashi, you can talk, but when you use words what looks like a seal stops you rather painfully." Honestly Amaya didn't want to talk about anything else at this point, but if they could help her remove whatever it was that caused Amaya excruciating pain every time she talked would give them the time of day.

"_It was one of the men who attacked my village_. _I think he was the leader of the group because he seemed to be giving the other men orders-" _she stopped, both unwilling and unable to explain more than that. His orders were cruel and left no room for compassion. Kakashi, who had been translating looked to her as if he expected more before turning back to Tsunade. Tsunade looked over at Amaya, giving her a once over before going back to her chart. Amaya turned her attention to Kakashi.

"_How long do I need to stay here?" _Amaya asked. Amaya caught a look between Kakashi and Tsunade almost a silent conversation that both inerved and annoyed her.

"Well, since you are doing well we would normally send you home to recuperate then have you come back for healing sessions to ensure the proper healing of your ribs. Healing them too fast can cause long term issues. The problem here is that you don't exactly have a place to stay." Amaya really didn't like this woman. It was obvious she didn't have a home, she didn't need saying it out loud. She also talked as though Amaya was a child in need of watching. Along being old enough to take care of herself, it wasn't her business to tell her what she could do and where she would stay.

"_I'll figure something out," _Truthfully Amaya was dying to get out of this hospital room. Everything about it was suffocating, her whole life was torn away and here she was stuck in a room smelling of antiseptic and bleach. All she wanted, no, all she needed was to get out of this place and away from these people she didn't know.

She saw Kakashi shake his head before replying, "At this time, in your state, we would be remiss in letting you go on your own. Especially since you currently have nothing to your name," he sat up straight in his chair, "but I have a proposition. You should stay with me." In another life the silence would have been funny, instead, everyone just looked at Kakashi. Sakura, who had finished what she was doing and was standing by the monitors gave Kakashi an incredulous look, "don't look at me that way, what I am saying has merit. Right now I am the only person who speaks the sign language she requires. Also if I'm not mistaken, there is a shortage of rooms in this hospital. What would be best is if she came with me till she is better and we can go from there."

Tsunade snorted again, an annoying habit.

"Kakashi, you think you would be right for the job? Do you even feed yourself properly? How could you feed someone else?"

"_Maybe you should ask me what I think," _Amaya was irritated and a little angry that they talked as if it was up to them. she wasn't necessarily opposed to the idea, but on principle they did not get to decide these things, she did. However as it stood she trusted Kakashi enough that The idea of going home with him wasn't all that bad. Besides, the idea of going home with the blond woman was a scary one, not that she had offered. All she needed a place to recover before she set out, and if Kakashi was offering she should take him up on it before the hospital became her new home.

"You're right Amaya. Do you have a preference?" Kakashi sounded apologetic and Amaya, who was was ready for a fight not a concession, paused taking a moment to mull over her answer. Amaya studied his face, lingering on the scar crossing on his left eye before moving her glance upwards to the headband that adorned his forehead in the symbol of the Hidden Leaf. Bringing her gaze back to eyes she contemplated him for another long moment, then looked to Sakura and Tsunade before sighing.

"_I'll go with you." _Kakashi regarded her for a second, then his eyes creased slightly.

"That settles it," Kakashi stood and shoved his hands in his pockets, "we'll get everything in order, I'll be back in a few hours and by then I think they will have you ready to go."

Amaya nodded. Worn out from this interaction She looked to the window. It was still pouring. Pain gripped her chest as she thought of her home, her friends, her family. Looking out at the rain She would have given anything to be outside in it, away from this new reality that was her life.

* * *

"Tsunade-sama, her being from the village, the injuries that were inflicted, and the state the men around her in are indicative that she is a victim. Much like the rest of her village, only she gets to walk around with the horror of it everyday," Kakashi was walking side by side with the current blonde Hokage and was more than a little irritated at this conversation. He hid annoyance well but couldn't help running his hands through his hair. They had this debate multiple times over the last week and Kakashi was getting a little irate.

"Yes, how you found her seems to say one thing, but how do we know for certain it wasn't a ploy to get a spy into Konoha? Everything about how she got here is suspicious. From the mission summons to the fact that she was the only one alive. It would be remiss of me to not be cautious," Tsunade-sama paused at a window and looked out. Gray skies that had grown too heavy were raining down on the Hidden Leaf village, "I have no problem helping her, I saw the photos of Hakone. That was a nightmare come to life. Now we need to be concerned with who did it. Before you say what you are thinking yes, I am considering whether or not she is a part of it." Kakashi who had been staring at Tsunade shook his head and looked out the window. The weather matched his mood, despite knowing that what Tsunade was saying was a logical precaution he couldn't help his intuition saying they were looking in the wrong place.

"What did the land of Hot water say?" he asked. Tsunade heaved a huge sigh.

"When they finally replied That this isn't the first village to be attacked." Kakashi glanced at Tsunade, "there has been a group attacking small villages like Hakone and decimating the people there. The goal seems to be slaughter, since the towns aren't super wealthy there isn't anything to steal." Kakashi digested this new piece of information. Hot water had a host of problems in regards to its Daimyo and governing bodies, so the fact that their communication wasn't prompt or urgent was very telling. And annoying. And concerning. Especially since it looks like this wouldn't be the last they heard of these attacks.

"It never ends." he said to himself. He ignored the sideways glance from Tsunade and turned his back to lean on the windowsill.

"All we can do is try," she said simply, "I know you dislike the idea of how we proceed with Amaya, but not only are we not sure if she isn't responsible for the attack, but she obviously has incredible power. What it is, how it works. And the real question is whether or not it is a threat." Kakashi flashed back to their earlier encounter with the strange young woman. To use one's chakra was not the unusual bit, but rather the way it acted was...odd. To be honest, it reminded him of Naruto, but the Kyuubi's power but more violent and separate from Naruto whereas Amaya's...it was her own chakra. At least he thought it was her chakra.

"Tsunade-sama, Amaya isn't unlike Naruto in that way, is she not?" Tsunade gave him a tight-lipped smile.

"But we know Naruto. We know next to nothing of this woman, one whom could be considered a shinobi yet seems to have no formal title. No, Kakashi, this is necessary. I am on board with her staying with you, take care of her, watch her, and if she tries to leave stop her. Until we know for certain that she isn't with the group attacking these villages I want her to be kept under control. As soon as she is up to it we will need a formal testimony witness. We can't let what has been happening in Hot water to happen in the Land of Fire." Nothing about this felt right, but Kakashi was compelled to obey his Hokage. "I need to go, there is a mountain of paperwork on my desk that Shizune is bothering me about." Kakashi nodded his head and watched the blond pigtails trail after the formidable woman.

Down the hallway lay a woman whose entire world was obliterated and destroyed. She had maltreated in the worst ways and he was supposed to watch her. Watch or guard his orders made it sound like she was under house arrest. The idea of taking care of her wasn't so bad, Kakashi wasn't about to let her stay in the hospital without anyone who could speak her language. That mission was only meant to be an answer to simple call for help to catch bandits in the area. Instead, it turned into a whole investigation. The land of Hot Water asked for help in stopping these men as they were in need of the manpower. Truthfully they needed more help than that as their unstable government was most likely what led to these incidents. Kakashi leaned his head back and closed his eyes, weary. His mind wandered as the image of Amaya on the ground clutching her head came to mind, the way she looked glowing in her chakra. It had been awhile since something came to shake things up, seems only poetic that it came in the form of a young woman.

Heaving a giant sigh Kakashi lifted his head, looked out the window one last time at the rain, then headed down the hallway to head to his apartment. Not necessarily a dirty man, but he definitely needed to clean the bathroom and lecture his ninken about their behaviour with their new guest.

* * *

Amaya sat cross legged on her hospital bed facing the window waiting to be picked up. The rain hadn't let up yet, just coming down in thick sheets. Amaya had changed into medical scrubs that hung on her battered body and while Her injuries had improved with a recent healing session (the damage done from the ripped out IV was all but gone) yet the bruises on her ribs remained and ached as she breathed. Amaya had also noticed a pull in the muscle of her inner thigh that ached, but she had so many other things that she decided to not bring attention to it. Sakura surprised her by noticing the distressed muscle even without Amaya's bringing attention to it and set about healing it. Sakura had also set up different appointments later that week to finish putting her back together, along with a test to see exactly what was causing the ninjutsu on her neck. That being said, cracked ribs that are now just mostly bruised still meant that it hurt to breathe. Amaya had perched herself on the bed sitting cross-legged trying to focus her breathing and ignore the pain when she heard a knock at the door. The door opened to reveal Kakashi and Sakura.

"Ready to get out of here?" Amaya, who had been chomping at the bit just moments prior, was suddenly apprehensive. Leaving with Kakashi sounded better than staying here, but Amaya was heading into the great unknown. Pushing these thoughts to the side Amaya focused on Sakura's green eyes.

"Absolutely," Amaya unfolded her legs and moved to the edge of the bed with a grimace as there was a sharp pain in her side. Sakura walked over to her and offered a hand to help her stand. Standing felt like a process, as if she needed someone to oil her joints. Amaya stepped into the sandals on the ground and felt a pull in her groin again making her wince. Ready to go she looked up at Sakura who was giving her a once over with her eyes.

"Now I've given Kakashi the same briefing I gave you, and all the details in regards to your medication are in the print out I gave him in case you have questions. You spike a fever, start coughing blood, have severe pain, anything of the sort you need to come back in immediately." Sakura looked to Kakashi, "she's all yours. I will be by with all the things you asked for tomorrow."

"Thank you, Sakura," Kakashi, standing in the doorway gave a small eye crinkle, " let's get out of here." Amaya breathed trying to dispel her concerns about the immediate future and followed Kakashi out the door leaving Sakura behind. They walked the halls in silence, Amaya ignoring the pain in her right leg trying not to limp. Amaya looked at Kakashi for a moment, trying to figure out what he could possibly be thinking. Kakashi was staring straight ahead with a lazy gaze, giving nothing away. Not wanting to get caught looking she looked forward again till they reached the entrance of the hospital where they both stopped and stared at the rain. Kakashi glanced over his shoulder at her.

"The weather couldn't have picked a better day to rain? I suppose we will need an umbrella." Amaya shook her head.

"No need umbrella, I like the rain." Kakashi's eyes crinkled again, something that Amaya had come to learn was a smile under the mask.

"Well good because there is plenty of it. No my real concern is I normally walk, but I don't think walking that far is smart right now for you. It's not close enough to flicker there either, and Sakura would have my head if I let you walk. So as I see it we have two options: either I carry you and I transport us back or we get a wheelchair." Amaya gave him a look of distaste at the word wheelchair. There wasn't a chance in hell that she would get in a wheelchair.

"You can carry me," she signed and looked back out at the rain "and no umbrella." Kakashi looked at her for a second with a cocked head, then held out his arms.

"Arms or on my back?" Amaya weighed up her two options. Which would be the least painful was the question.

"Back." Kakashi stepped in front of her and bent down on one knee. Gingerly she climbed on feeling all her bruises and strained muscles whine. Again that pull in her groin was annoying. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clasped her right wrist in left hand resting them on his chest. Kakashi carefully wrapped his hands around her knees and stood. She rested her head on his shoulder reassured by his warmth.

"Ready?"

"Yes," she nodded her hand. With that, he took a few steps before jumping to the roof tops. Feeling the cool air and rain was a breath of fresh air on her soul. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, absorbing the relief that filled her person. After a few moments Kakashi's voice sounded and she felt the rumble in his back resonate against her chest.

"Does it rain a lot in the land of hot water?" Amaya opened her eyes to the cloud heavy sky. She leaned her head forward to see buildings flying by.

"More than here I imagine. The seasons are more dramatic, hotter summers and colder winters." Kakashi movements were so fast everything was a blur. In no time at all, they came to a stop at a set of covered stairs. Kakashi climbed the stairs and walked down a hallway passing a few doors before coming to a stop before 232. Kakashi knelt down and Amaya took that cue to climb off of his back. Unlocking the door he opened the door and gestured her in.

Amaya took in the apartment, seeing a simple home with simple furniture. Lots of bookshelves, A comfortable couch, and desk covered in papers were all simple in design. Walking a few feet in Amaya felt exhausted leading to her feeling entirely overwhelmed. Needing to sit, she walked to the couch and plopped herself down rubbing her face with her hands. Despite having sat for most of the day Amaya was exhausted, emotionally and physically and mentally. Kakashi walked around the couch and through a doorway to what she assumed was the kitchen as she heard a door open and close with the tinkling of glasses. Amaya took a moment to look around and couldn't help noticing the sheer amount of books per square foot of this small place. Looking at the titles Amaya suddenly felt invasive in Kakashi's privacy. Kakashi returned with two glasses of water, one he offered and she gladly took to occupy her hands. Both took a moment to drink when Amaya couldn't take it anymore.

"Why am I here?" Kakashi cocked his head at her.

"I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that."

"I mean why would you willingly invite a stranger into your home?" She asked. Kakashi looked at her steadily, looking as though he were pondering that himself which in turn made her feel self-conscious so she began to drink her water giving her something to do.

"Because I'm tired. Every war is supposed to be the end of incidents what happened in Hakone. And yet it still happened," he took a few steps towards the couch and sat down and leaned forward elbow on his knee as he rubbed his forehead. "I also couldn't bring myself to make you stay in that wretched place struggling to communicate with people you don't know." he leaned back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. Amaya looked at him for a minute before he looked at her.

"Don't like hospitals huh?" she smiled slightly with her statement. His eyes crinkled with a small smile in response and shook his head. Exhausted Amaya set her empty glass on the side table next to her and folded her arms on the armrest and laid down her head.

"I know you probably want to go to sleep, but I figured you would like a shower. They do their best to get all the muck off, but until you get a chance to be immersed you can't get everything out of your hair," Kakashi stood and walked to the desk where he set down his glass. Amaya smiled again at this statement as he clearly knew what he was talking about. Silver hair that grew so wildly would be its own trial to clean, "I've also been instructed to get you to eat something Before you take the painkillers they issued you. I recommend you take them, sleeping with bruised ribs is not the easiest." Kakashi pulled on the zipper of his vest and shrugged it off leaving him in his long sleeve navy shirt and loose ninja pants. He placed it over the back of the chair at the desk before moving towards her. He grabbed her glass then went back into the kitchen while Amaya closed her eyes. She had already begun to doze when he came back into the room.

"Eh herm," she raised her head to see a plate of toast and felt her stomach twist with queasiness.

"You sure I need to eat that? I'm really not hungry,"

"Trust me when I say you will want to, these pain pills can cause an upset stomach," he said. Amaya took a deep breath, reached for the plate and took a ginger bite. Chewing was a monumental task. After the first piece of toast, she took a long drink of water. He had been staring off into space when he broke the silence.

"So how do you know how to sign? You could speak before so why the need." Amaya took one bite out of the second piece toast when she shook her head and set it down unable to get more down. She handed the plate back to him and he gave her two large pills in return. She tossed the pills in her mouth and drank them down another gulp of water before setting the glass down next to her.

"In the land of Hot Water there is a saying: words carry on the water. Means words have power and you need to be careful with how you use them. The whole village could sign," Amaya didn't want to elaborate further as thinking about her village hurt. She looked to the hallway, "I think I'm ready for that shower now if that's okay" Standing Kakashi helped her up then led her down the hall to the classic Japanese bathroom with a shower and soaking tub in the room to the left, sink in the middle, and a toilet to the right.

"Knock if you need anything." she nodded and the door shut behind her. With tired limbs Amaya began to shed her clothes which took all of two seconds before she realized that was going to be an impossible task. Lifting her arms above her head was excruciating. She shed the pants and underwear well enough but her few attempts at lifting her arms made her eyes water with pain. Deliberating for a quick moment she shed her pride and knocked three times and sat on the stool exhausted. Kakashi opened the door a crack.

"You okay," he looked in to see her sitting there clothed and opened the door the rest of the way to come in, standing before her.

"I need help," she willed herself not to care about being reduced to needing help getting undressed, "lifting my arms above my head is excruciating." he looked her up and down a moment, thinking before he reached over to the towel rack and grabbed the big white one and flung it over his shoulder. He walked forward and crouched before her. Grabbing the edge of her shirt he pulled it up to her collar bones and helped her ease her arms through. Amaya bit her lip as she pulled them through, trying not to hiss in pain. Once the arms were through he gently pulled it over her head. The only bra she had was in the form of bandages wrapped around her ribs, bandages she realized she would also need help with. She unhooked where the bandage had been tucked into the front and held it out to him. Kakashi took it and moved to stand behind her making quick work of the bandage. When it finally fell from her he surprised her by handing her the towel to preserve her modesty. Amaya held it to her as he wound up the bandage and set it aside for later. He came back and stood behind her, pausing before asking a question.

"I know this might be overstepping my bounds, but if you can't take off your shirt you won't be able to reach your head. Would you like me to wash your hair?" Amaya just sat there, absorbing his words for a moment. He must have taken it as she was uncomfortable with the idea because he moved to taking it back quickly. "its okay if not-"

"No, I would like you to, please." Kakashi turned to fiddle with the shower head, turning it to the wall while the water warmed up and began to strip off his shirt and gloves leaving in in a sleeveless tank that was connected to his mask. During this time he turned away, giving Amaya a moment to get situated on the shower stool where she chose to drape the towel over her lap leaving her chest exposed. The only reason she had kept her breasts covered in the first place was because it might make Kakashi uncomfortable, but Amaya could care less. In Hot Water, and especially in Hakone, women often went swimming topless, and bathed in unisex baths so being topless didn't make her nervous or uncomfortable, She just hoped Kakashi wouldn't be. Besides, standing behind her it wouldn't be like he was getting a great view. Clearing her throat to get his attention and Amaya hoped this wouldn't be weird. Granted he offered so if he felt uncomfortable that was on him. Kakashi turned around at the sound, grabbing the shower head. With careful movements he tilted her head back towards the ceiling and began to rinse her hair. Water ran down her shoulders from her hair causing goosebumps to rise on her flesh from the warmth. Small rivers ran down her face and she closed her eyes to enjoy the relaxing sensation of water. She felt Kakashi tilt her head back forward to a more natural state before massaging shampoo into her hair. Kakashi's ministrations were firm, massaging shampoo scrubbing her scalp of what she imagined was a layer of filth.

"You're surprisingly good at this," Amaya signed to him, enjoying the massage he was giving her. She heard a small chuckle.

"Having ninken means getting coerced into giving them baths, so you get the skills I learned from bathing my companions." Amaya smiled as he tilted her head back again and rinsed the bubbles out then moved onto rubbing conditioner in her ends. The gentle way he would touch her when angling her head back touched Amaya, he treated her with such care. After a final hair rinse he hooked the shower head up high and asked, "Do you want to do a full body rinse?" Amaya nodded and Kakashi moved to leave when something struck her.

"Wait, I just realized I don't have any other clothes" she signed. All of the confusion led her to forget that she didn't actually have anything anymore, not clothes, no toothbrush, nothing.

"That's okay I have something you can wear," he moved to the door before turning back, "if you need anything just knock." Amaya signed thank you and he left her to finish up. Amaya dropped the towel and stood under the water willing it to wash away her life. Standing there, warm water running down her achy body, she couldn't believe how tired she was. Amaya stood there for ages before she turned off the water and dripped dry for another few minutes, leaning against the shower wall forehead pressed to the tiles. Summoning the will to move she exited the shower room to find Kakashi had laid a new towel and outfit for her to wear. Also set to the side was the bandage but she was not going to wear that again, she couldn't put it on herself even if she wanted to. Moving further into the sink room she caught sight of herself in the mirror and stopped in her tracks. The sight of her reflection startled her as she looked at herself and saw all the damage for the first time. Black and blue ribs, the bite marks, lingering bruises on her cheek and eyes, she didn't recognise the woman with haunted eyes staring back at her. Shaking herself she grabbed the towel and dried off as best she could before grabbing the clothes left for her. He had left her a yukata made for sleeping, soft from repeated washes and wear. Shrugging it on she tightened the obi around her waist, noting it was definitely made for a man as she rolled the sleeves a few times and draped the towel over her arm. Exiting the bathroom she found Kakashi was leaning against the wall waiting for her.

"Everything all good? Let me show you where you will sleep." Kakashi pushed off the wall and set off down the hallway to the door at the end of the hall. Entering the bedroom Amaya noticed the simplicity of the room. A queen sized bed with white sheets and a navy duvet, a bedside table with a lamp and clock. The bed was under a big window that let in the dimmed light of gray skies and rain. Beyond the window was a fire escape and further that of buildings and grim faces of hokages. His voice beside her brought her out of her thoughts.

"Want me to dry your hair?" She had been unable to reach up a do something about it, so it was dripping down her back. Pulled from her observations Amaya looked at Kakashi who stood by the side of the bed. This day had been nothing but hard and full of Amaya at the mercy of others to do basic things like wash and dry her hair. Adding it to the list of things he had helped her with that day, Amaya nodded her head and she moved to the bed to sit. Handing the towel to Kakashi she closed her eyes as the towel descended on her head. Kakashi rubbed the towel over her hair making her feel slightly like a dog. Exhaustion had been creeping in and was barreling down on her making her feel like she could fall asleep sitting there when she felt Kakashi pull the towel off her head.

"Is there anything else you need for the time being Amaya?" hearing his voice she opened her eyes and shook her head. Feeling movement she saw him move in front of her. Gazing up at him she looked into two grey eyes and saw him looking over her.

"I'm just really tired,"

"Okay I'll let you rest. I'll be down the hall if you need anything just knock for me," his eyes creased. He turned to leave when she reached out and grabbed his arm. He looked down expectantly.

"I just...thank you. For everything." Kakashi's eyes were warm when he reached up and grabbed the hand holding his arm and gave it a light squeeze before turning and walking down the hall leaving Amaya alone. Sitting there for a few more minutes Amaya felt a million miles from home. Finally too tired to try to make sense of her situation any further she stood and walked to the edge of the bed before looking out the window and feeling that desperate need again to be in the rain, to let it erase the details of her life. Reaching over with her thousandth wince of the day she unlatched the window and opened the glass, pushing it open taking in the smell of rain, the cool air and felt immediate relief. Gingerly she moved to lie down on top of the bedspread and holding her breath lay very carefully on her side. Letting out the breath she had been holding she took in shallow breaths, so incredibly tired of the constant pain in her ribs. Lying on her side she curled up in a gently S and listened to the rain and let the smell wash over her. Too tired to think too hard she pondered the masked man that invited her into his home. Why wear the mask, even around those who should know him best...it took less than five minutes before her thoughts drifted into sleep.


End file.
